The complex, the surviving part of a once-larger compound belonging to Young, includes the Beehive House, Young's family residence, the Lion House, his official residence as church leader and governor of the Utah Territory, and two small office buildings he used for official business.

[3] The complex is a National Historic Landmark District for its association with Young, whose leadership included the rapid expansion of Mormon settlement across the American West.

The Brigham Young Complex is set apart from later construction by a rubble wall, portions of which were originally placed when Brigham Young designated the site in the 1850s, and portions are relocated to the area's north and west boundaries due to road widening projects.

Prior to the construction of these buildings, Young housed his family and conducted the affairs of the church and territory from log structures which no longer stand.

In 2020, the Brigham Young Complex and other historic sites on Temple Square were closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic.